Do Good, Get Bangled: BeadforLife

BeadforLife, a nonprofit organization that works to pull women and their families out of poverty, is launching a campaign called “Do Good, Get Bangled.” The goal: to inspire people to do good by recognizing their actions with a free BeadforLife bangle. Do-gooders will also receive five additional bracelets so they in turn can reward others who are making positive change in the world. For details, read on

by Mackie Siebens

About BeadforLife:

BeadforLife, a Colorado-based nonprofit, is committed to making a difference in women's lives, whether in its own backyard or on the other side of the world. The organization's mission is to create sustainable opportunities for women to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. For example, in Uganda, a Beadforlife program teaches women to roll beads out of recycled paper and string them into pieces of jewelry. During the three-month training course, the women learn entrepreneurial skills to prepare them to launch their own sustainable businesses. And if any of the women's jewelry is sold while they're still in the training program, Beadforlife gives them some of the profits for everyday expenses and puts the rest into a savings account. When the woman graduates, she has a small nest egg to help her get her business started.

That's where the bracelets in the "Do Good, Get Bangled" program come from. To find out how to join this campaign and start awarding bangles to those who are helping other people, click to the next slide.

How to get bangled:

Step 2: Choose five people who, in your estimation, are doing good in the world. They could be doing anything from helping out a family member by taking care of a household chore to teaching at an after-school program. (See the next few slides for other examples of bangle-worthy activities.)

Step 3: Write down the reason that you have bangled each person on the "I got bangled because..." card included in the kit. Then present the card and a bangle to each of the five people you've chosen.

Step 4: Encourage the five people you bangled to keep the circle going by signing up to receive their own "Do Good, Get Bangled" kits. All they need to do is complete the registration form.

Step 5: Take a picture of you and your friends wearing the bangles and post it on Facebook, share it and tweet it using #dogood, #igotbangled and #beadforlife.

Toni

Toni was bangled because she has volunteered with BeadforLife for three years and has attended educational conferences such as the Service Learning and National Social Studies. She has also helped adapt the BeadforLife curriculum for use by The Girl Scouts of the USA, which hopes to educate girls about the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and how they can help fight poverty.

In addition, Toni volunteers with the Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO), whose members celebrate the advancement of women; educate women through scholarships, grants, awards, loans; and motivate women to achieve their highest aspirations.